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Surface Pro 5 release date, news and rumors

Update: We’ve included early information and imagery detailing a purported new Surface Pen patent filed by Microsoft earlier this year. Read on below!

The impressive (if a bit troubled) Surface Pro 4 is only a few months old, so naturally we technology lovers are already thinking about the fifth edition of Microsoft’s laptop-killing tablet.

In fact, rumors of a Surface Pro 5 release date are already floating around the internet. The keyword there is “rumors”, as none of those reported are citing trustworthy sources, if any at all.

Not to mention that folks are also clamoring across message boards, like Reddit, for their most desired features and improvements. (Can you guess the most popular one? It slant rhymes with “lottery”.)

And you can bet that the techradar editors have been chatting about that very same thing. We’ll get to our wishlist shortly, but first, let’s talk rumors.

Cut to the chaseWhat is it? The would-be fifth Surface Pro tabletWhen is it out? Current rumors point to either June 2016 or October 2016What will it cost? Likely as much as – if not a bit more than – the current Surface Pro 4

Surface Pro 5 release date

Unfortunately, all we have to go off of, as far as published reports are concerned, is a baseless rumor started by Release Date Portal that suggests the device will launch either in June 2016 or October 2016. Since then, several outlets – including The Times of India– have picked it up.

However, there is – at the very least – a precedent for both of those purported launch windows.

Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 3 back in May 2014, with most models being available in late June of that year. Last year, the Surface Pro 4 was announced in October 2015 and hit shelves later that same month.

If Microsoft were to pick a time to release its fifth Surface Pro device, chances are that it would go with one of those windows – with October being even more likely. It would be a shock if Microsoft were able to shrink its product cycle to make a June 2016 release.

Surface Pro 5 price

In case you haven’t noticed in the phone market, the prices of later iterations of modern tech products doesn’t change all that drastically – if at all – between releases.

Applying that logic to the eventual Surface Pro 5, it’s likely that the device will start at $899 (£749, AU$1,349) and escalate from there depending on the configuration and accessories you choose.

Is there any chance that the final price will differ? Of course, there is. Would it be smart for Microsoft to deviate too far from the standard it has set? Nope.

Regardless, the ball is in Microsoft’s court here, and the company will naturally preserve its bottom line if pricier new features are implemented as standard.

Surface Pro 5 stylus

One piece of the puzzle regarding every new Surface is how Microsoft will upgrade its Surface Pen stylus accessory that comes bundled with each tablet. Patently Mobile recently uncovered a patent filed by Microsoft for a stylus that features a rechargeable battery system.

Specifically, the patent details a magnetic charging dock built to give the new Surface Pen its juice, seemingly with connectors meant for a Surface Dock mounting. Such a venture makes a lot of sense for Microsoft, as the iPad Pro’s Apple Pencil currently has this exact edge over the Surface Pen, able to charge by awkwardly connecting to the tablet via its Lightning port.

What we want to see

Look, as much as we’ve been impressed by the Surface Pro 4, firmware issues aside, there will always be room for improvement. (That would be the case even if it had earned our Editor’s Choice award.)

From the screen size and resolution to the hardware inside, we have a few ideas for how Microsoft could craft an even better Windows 10 tablet.

Longer battery life

This is a bit of low-hanging fruit, but countless customers have lamented the Surface Pro 4’s battery life – regardless of issues with its “Sleep” mode. We rated the device for 5 hours and 15 minutes of video playback.

That’s well below Microsoft’s promise of 9 hours of video playback, but we all know that few, if any, laptops actually meet their promised longevity. Our video playback figure is in line with the average laptop, though it’s a far cry from what its nemesis, the MacBook Air, can produce.

Ideally, and realistically, we’d like to see at least 7 hours of battery life reliably from the next Surface Pro tablet. That would put it closer in line with the MacBook Air as well as competing tablets, like the iPad Pro.

An even sharper (and/or bigger) screen

With the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft managed to oust countless rivals in both the laptop and tablet spaces when it comes to screen resolution. With a razor-sharp 267 ppi (pixels per inch) already at 2,736 x 1,824 pixels within a 12.3-inch screen, it’s not as if the Surface Pro 5 needs to be much sharper.

However, if the next Surface Pro were equipped with, say, a 4K (3,840 pixels wide, at least) screen, that would rip its productivity and entertainment capabilities wide open. Film and photo editors could work at the native resolution that’s increasingly becoming the norm, while average Joe’s (teehee) could finally watch Netflix in 4K on a tablet.

That said, the realm of super sharp resolutions might be reserved for the Surface Book range at this point. So, why not up its size a bit?

The Surface Pro 4 is big enough for almost all tasks, but it’s still not the established default size for most laptops: 13.3 inches. Understandably, the point is for the Surface Pro to straddle both sides of the ever-eroding line between laptop and tablet.

However, maybe the iPad Pro is onto something with its 12.9-inch display. Plus, granted the resolution doesn’t bump up too much alongside a size increase, the extra space could allow for a battery life boost.

It might finally be time for USB-C

We saw the latest Google Chromebook Pixel and MacBook be two of the first devices to adopt the latest in USB technology, only for a growing number of smartphones, tablets and laptops to hop on board since then.

The reversible, versatile port (or two?) may be just what the Surface Pro 5 needs to alleviate the product line’s slight input/output problem. A single USB 3.0 port and a proprietary charging port aren’t going to cut it for much longer.

It helps that Microsoft has already well-tested the USB-C port within its new Lumia phones, so it’s practically a no-brainer to apply that same tech to the Surface line.

If scuttlebutt is to be believed, we’re about seven months out from a release – plenty of time for the rumor mill to fire up. Stay tuned to this space in the coming months for the latest on things Surface Pro 5.

39 thoughts on “Surface Pro 5 release date, news and rumors”

Indeed that is true, BUT as you just stated other brands ALSO suffered from the NEW skylake processors by Intel which caused their devices as well to suffer either errors, crashing and, poor battery. Which is understandable as both sides didn’t expect such a clash with new hardware and thus updates have taken care of the majority of the issues. The real reason people are so uppity is due to the

While other brands experienced problems, Intel and Microsoft are the primary players behind the Windows based computers that were snake bitten. Intel provided the processors and Microsoft provided the OS. What is not known is are the problems due to Microsoft mistakes, Intel mistakes or some combination of the two. Microsoft needs to thoroughly vett new offerings before releasing to the marketplace especially if the products are to be marketed against and priced similarly to Apple’s offerings. This would also apply to Windows Mobile devices as comments from users of Lumia 950 and 950XL phones, in general, question the premium price tags when WM10 is still a work in progress.

You do know they were not the only ones whom had issues with firmware issues with skylake, dell and many others who used the new skylake processors had issues. The only reason they are not mentioned is it was over shadowed by the surface, BUT clearly it was cross platform.

Despite not being in the market for a Surface Pro 5…I own a Surface 3 and a Surface Pro 3…Microsoft really needs to go the extra mile to ensure a repeat of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book firmware debacle never happens again.

MS seriously overprices its hardware. I get they need to make money too, but its a bit frustrating. I did the maths and MS seem to think the Surface Book keyboard is worth 00a3420 alone. Like damn! A quick Google search finds me a new laptop with the same GPU for less than 00a3400. It’s a bit frustrating because I really like the idea of the Surface Pro and especially the Book but the pricing and configurations don’t make any sense. Why did they release the Surface 3 with a model of just 2gb RAM? I have a laptop with 2gb of RAM and its poverty. I cant even use Chrome on it because it gobbles it up. There are currently three I7 SP4 models. THREE! and yet there is only a slight difference between the 256gb models in that one has 16gb RAM. Why not just scrap the 8GB RAM model and add another core M model with 8gb RAM and 256gb SSD? Many want that model because its fanless and has better battery life, whilst only being 20% less powerfull than the I5. There was also a Surface Pro 3 Mini that was scrapped even though the designer actually admitted that he used it everyday and there is demand for it. What I want aside for a price cut: Surface Book with a lower resolution (the SP4/Book is seriously overkill, I5 processor and a bit more weight in the keyboard to stop the flapping around (battery?). Basically something to play slightly demanding games on medium settings whilst still being able to be used as a tablet. That would be really great. Maybe even a Surface Book mini (11 inch?). Also if someone makes a core M tablet with 256gb SSD 4gb+ RAM and is able to remove the battery they are getting my money. Unfortunately the competitors such as Samsung and HUAWEI are just making the exact same product.

We can’t compare regional market prices, yet I understand your budget-usage standpoint (btw: SD card is hidden under kickstand) and can agree here: If I would buy a Surface device for business use it would both rather be the SB i7/512GB or the SP4 i7/512GB … steeeeep princing plus TC4!!!

Yes I agree that SP4 gives nicer experience and if you have the money then go for it. The price point is really not justified for me, a student, with what I get for such an expensive machine. Btw have more storage on SSD is still much better than carry around SD card and If you check UK and US store, the price difference is significant between 2 machines.

Crazy price difference. You can get the TC4 for about 130 20ac, which equals 100 00a3 … I understand your point of not needing the extra capabilities and features. It’s just that you get the technically better equipped device for nearly the same price, as both have an OSD keyboard or can connect an external one via cable/Bluetooth plus how much is a128 GB micro SD in your area? Also the Type Cover’s typing and trackpad experience is higher appreciated by professionals (I had a bunch of customers who both tested them, telling me this at my sales promotion job for the Surface line in Media Market).

Well HP X2 is even cheaper in US compare to SP4. I don’t know very much about the price in the EU sorry but you get my point. 00a3600 for the based model is more reasonable or keep the price like now but include the keyboard. Not just me but many ppl hate the fact that they don’t include keyboard for such a high price

The X2 Core m has no display output, but 2 USB ports, more RAM, more storage space, and higher clock speed, and costs around 1300 20ac with the included keyboard. The SP4 Core m has an additional camera for business usage, higher display resolution, can support two external displays, comes with a pen, and costs around 1300 20ac with Type Cover and additional 128 GB of SD card storage. I think you definitely get more bang for your bucks with the SP4.

The amazing way of putting everything in this form factor naturally has it’s price tag. And you get better after sales service than with most of the other manufacturers. Also Microsoft can’t directly compete with it’s hardware partners who are selling it’s software. The Surface 3 with it’s 1080p display and lower price tag is the more cost effective product, yet many will find it expensive compared to the other 10-inchers, but again the industrial design, features and support is far out better. Also I don’t think there is a tablet out there with an included keyboard, except the HP Spectre maybe.

Display is not really important for casual user (1920x1080p is enough) Battery life is well under average 8 hours for portable devices Keyboard sold separately ( 00a3100?!) And the spec just simply does not live up to the price Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of this device and I’m amazed by how they can put everything in such a small device. However, battery life, keyboard and price make it less attractive and hinder its’ potential..

Agreed. I took a solid look at the base SP4, mostly because I’d LOVE to have the features of the Surface Pen for artwork. I just couldn’t justify the price for those specs. Especially after adding the price of a type cover to it. Ended up with an Acer R14. Overall great blend of price, performance, and portability. Sure, I still have to use my graphics tablet for artwork, which is a step down from drawing directly on-screen, but it’s worked for me this long … I can carry on with it just fine.

You are right, but I was thinking more of the 128GB/4GB SP4 at 00a3849 compared to the 256GB/8GB SP4 at 00a31079 – 00a3230. The SSDs are around 00a360 and 00a380, a 00a320 difference. 4GB to 8GB of RAM is only an increase of about 00a38. Where does the multiplier come from? To go from an i7 256GB to 512GB (we cannot get teh 1TB in the UK) costs 00a3300. That might be an SSD cost of 00a350, as it rises from 00a380 to 00a3130? So buying it fitted to a SP4 costs more than double. I’d read an article about SSD prices dropping and thought about my recent purchase compared to my old HDD purchases. The price hike just to put it in a box seems wrong.

Yes SSDs have come down but they are not at HDD levels. A 1TB Seagate HDD is $59 while a 1TB Samsung SSD is $319. Not even close to HDD levels. You can get a 250GB SSD for $79 then you wouldn’t be comparing apples to apples.